Down with Babylon!

by Alejandro Roque Glez.

“Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, said Yahweh, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about… and this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, said Yahweh, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.”

(Jeremiah 25:9-13)

As previous years the prophet Isaiah did, now Jeremiah confirms here the near destruction of the kingdom of Judah, and the future and imminent fall of the Babylonian Empire.

Once the prophet Jeremiah warns about the approaching destruction of Jerusalem by the hands of the Chaldeans and forced captivity of seventy years which would subject the Jews (v.11-12), he goes back later and prophesy to the invaders that their day will also come years later––as surely happened––when Darius the Mede (Dn 5:28-31) conquered the city of Babylon in 538 BC, ending the Empire, and setting the Medo-Persian imperial coalition. The prophet is telling here what would happen 100 years into the future, counting from the time when pronouncing it.

It is enough to recall that Babylon, capital of the Chaldeans’ Empire, was a famous and illustrious city; favorite residence of the kings and very prominent during that pre-Christian Era. It was Nebuchadnezzar (Dn 4:1) who led to the zenith of its glory, and he never tired during the forty-five years of his reign, to construct and beautify its palaces, temples and hanging gardens.

The Euphrates River divided the city into two almost equal parts, all surrounded by huge walls of nearly 100 kilometers long––according to ancient historians––90 and 24 meters thick. Vast and well adorned, full of gold and riches, but apart from God. Men do not understand, again and again, and squander their gifts and blessings, in one way or another, at the expense of the Creator.

The city was immersed in a deep paganism, ignorance of God, idolatry, and wickedness which dragged its ruin. Its fate was dictated by God, and from the time of Isaiah, and now the prophet Jeremiah, heavens commissioned them to clearly declare its imminent destruction, that occurred later through an invasion of the Medes and Persians (50:1-3), who ransacked and demolished much of its walls; thus the city receiving the cup of God’s wrath, as happened before to the Assyrian Empire (50:18). The anger that had begun 70 years ago against Jerusalem it would now return against them; because under this sun there is a time for everything.

Babylon, “the hammer of the whole earth” would be broken and left in desert and neglected wasteland. Its arrogance and hubris angered Yahweh,being destroyed with its princes, soothsayers, youth, women and children (50:23-39).Forgotten forever, from generation to generation; becoming––like finally happened––in a cave of wild beasts, wolves, and animals of all kinds. Everything was predicted by the mouth of God’s prophets, all which without fail came up at the hour and set time. It was erased from subsequent history, until today.

How many cities today seem as Babylon, and all of them capitals like her? Read the author's book entitled: 'Revelation of Saint John. Interpretation of the Book;' along with the literary novel 'The Great Peacemaker from Hell,' which recreates in a narrative form the final events. Also you can look for the writings titled: 'The Prophet Ezekiel: Gog, Magog, and the Third World War'; next to 'Prophet Daniel: The Last Four Empires of Mankind'.

[These and other Old Testament prophecies are explicatively compiled in the author's book entitled: 'Major Prophets of the Old Testament;' in print and digital editions] 

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